ALL ABOUT DUBAI......THE MOVIE

[tes]

MANILA BULLETIN (Sept. 4, 2005)

‘Dubai:’ More than a love story and to look forward to

In case you haven’t noticed Star Cinema has been bringing moviegoers around the world on the wings of love - love stories, that is, that are set in various places in the world.


A few years ago, Star Cinema filmed a virtual love story between a mother and a daughter separated by years but brought back together by familial love, in HongKong. The movie, "Anak," starred Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto. It was directed by Nory Quintos, a big hit.

Two years ago, Star Cinema brought Piolo Pascual and Claudine Barretto together in "Milan," filmed in that famed Italian City, directed by Olivia Lamasan. It was also critically and commercially successful.

Now, Star Cinema will bring moviegoers to the cosmopolitan Dubai via a beautiful love story calculated to make everybody feel romantic again and at the same time sympathize with Filipino Overseas Workers (OFW).

Directed by Rory Quintos, Dubai brings back the hit "Kailangan Kita" team-up of Aga Muhlach and Claudine Barretto, with JOHN LLOYD Cruz as the other star.

In the story penned by Ricky Lee and Shaira Mella Salvador (their first screenplay collaboration). Aga and JOHN LLOYD play brothers who promise to stick to each other no matter what happens. When Aga as Raffy gets settled in Dubai, he asked JOHN LLOYD as Andrew to join him. Little do they know that their lives would be challenged and their sibling bonding put to the test when Claudine as Faye crosses their paths.

"Dubai" was filmed entirely in Dubai in such a way that the moviegoers will feel like a tourist as they watch a beautiful love story unfold. The audience will marvel at the sights of Dubai’s skyscrapers in the Shiek Zayed and Al Ain cities, the Sand Dunes and other eye-popping scenery.

The movie’s theme song is the Ogie Alcasid composition, "Ikaw Lamang," sung by Gary Valenciano.

"Dubai" will have its world premiere on Sept. 28 in Milan, San Francisco, Vancouver and Vienna as well as in more than 100 theaters all over the Philippines.

[mhie]

NITZ MIRALLES
People's Tonight
Sept. 6, 2005

Ang ganda ng initial print promotion ng Dubai. Letter ni Raffy (Aga Muhlach) sa kapatid na si Andrew (JOHN LLOYD Cruz) ang lumabas sa Sunday newspapers. Naintriga ang nakakita at binasa ang sulat. Aabangan namin ang mga susunod at kakaibang gagawing ng Star Cinema to promote the said movie.

Re-team up ito nina Aga at Claudine Barretto at sa presscon, paulit-ulit na sinabi ng actor how he loves working with the actress. Wala rin daw malisya sa pagitan nila at nakapagre-rehease sila ng kissing scene na hindi ito nagrereklamo.

Nabanggit din ni Aga na may dream project siya para sa kanila ni Claudine na hindi matuluy-tuloy. He hopes that in three years time, magawa nila ang pelikula.

Kinakikitaan sila ng chemistry ni Claudine. Paano niya ito ipaliliwanag considering na malaki ang agwat ng kanilang edad?

"Siguro, pareho kaming actors in the true sense of the word. Pagdating sa set, nagtatrabaho kami at may respeto kami sa isa't isa. Kung may personal problem ang isa sa amin, hindi namin dinadala sa set. Si Claudine rin ang taong kahit maghubad sa harap mo, wala pa ring malisya. It's best working with her," sabi ni Aga.

Sa September 28 na ang nationwide showing ng pelikulang dinirek ni Rory Quintos. Sabay nito ang worldwide opening sa Dubai, Abu Dhabi, San Francisco, Vancouver, Canada; Milan, Italy; Saipan, Guam at Vienna.

[carenjasmine]

eeee cant wait for this movie

[mhie]

ABOUT SHOWBIZ
Ni Nitz Miralles
Ang Pilipino STAR Ngayon
09/04/2005

JOHN LLOYD, ka-level na nina Aga, Claudine!


Hanggang November pa pala ang Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin, sabi ito ni JOHN LLOYD Cruz sa presscon ng Dubai. After this, gusto niya munang magpahinga sa telebisyon at eight years na raw na tuluy-tuloy ang kanyang trabaho.

Susundin din yata ni JOHN LLOYD ang advice nina Aga Muhlach at Claudine Barretto na dapat hindi siya huminto sa paggawa ng pelikula’t magaling siyang actor. Ang paalala lang ni Aga kay John, ‘wag lang siya magbabago na tiyak na susundin nito.

Tamang-tama naman dahil may follow-up movie na si John. Tampok ang loveteam nila ni Bea Alonzo sa isa sa tatlong episode ng trilogy movie na About Love na may November playdate.

Samantala, idinaan ni JOHN LLOYD sa biro ang tuwa sa pagpapahalaga ng Star Cinema sa kanya sa poster ng Dubai. Malaki raw ang mukha niya, kaya sa litrato sa poster ng movie, lumalabas na mas malaki ang litrato niya. Pareho naman ang laki ng pangalan niya sa pangalan nina Aga at Claudine.

[mhie]

MALAYA ENTERTAINMENT
STUDIO WHISPERS
ETHEL RAMOS
SEPT. 7, 2005.

Claudine pampers Aga, JOHN LLOYD

Claudine Barretto and JOHN LLOYD Cruz are both the youngest in their families. No wonder, they treated each other like siblings when they were shooting scenes for their movie “Dubai,” produced by Star Cinema, in Dubai.

"In JOHN LLOYD, I saw a younger brother whom I would have spoiled so much. Mabait kasing bata si JOHN LLOYD kaya ‘di puwedeng ‘di mo mahalin," said Claudine.

JOHN LLOYD, for his part, shared: "In Claudine I found a sister na ‘di ako nagkaroon at magkakaroon pa man. I have two elder brothers. Tatatlo lang kaming magkakapatid na pawang mga lalaki.

"I would have loved having a sister, lalo’t katulad ni Claudine na ‘di lang mabait, kung hindi masyadong masilbi pa. Aba, noong nasa Dubai kami ini-spoil niya kami pareho ni Aga (Muhlach). We were assigned the same apartment. Do you know na inasikaso kaming mabuti ni Claudine? She not only served as our cook but also our labandera.

"One thing I noticed about her is that she’s a stickler for cleanliness. Kapag nagkakalat kami ni Aga, kaagad she will call our attention; which we didn’t mind at all. Tama naman kasi siya kaya opo na lang kami ng opo ni Aga."


JOHN LLOYD considers "Dubai" his first adult movie and a most challenging one at that. After all, he explained, not every young actor is given the chance to pit talents with two award-winning and popular performers like Aga and Claudine.

"I notice that both of them are very generous with their talents," he related. "When we were rehearsing for a scene, they would give me tips on how to do my part, and I appreciated their help so much."

He has, likewise, good words for Rory Quintos, their director, who was so patient with him. "May mga pagkakataon kasi, lalo’t noong mga unang araw ng siyuting, when I felt nervous. Direk would always assure me. Alalay talaga siya sa performance ko from beginning to end.

"This early, kahit magkakasama pa nga kami for the promotions of the movie, parang nami-miss ko na sila," he said further.

[mhie]

Timing
Rowena Agilada
Sept. 8, 2005.

JOHN LLOYD, suko na sa soap opera


SA pagkaalam ni JOHN LLOYD Cruz, hanggang Novem-ber na lang ang "Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin." After that, ayaw na raw muna niyang gumawa ng panibagong soap opera at gusto niyang magpahinga. Nakakapagod daw kasi ang ngaragang taping nila.



Tila gustong sundin ni John ang payo sa kanya ni Aga Muhlach na mas maganda kung gagawa siya ng pelikula dahil magaling siyang actor. "Shine! Shine!" sey nga ni Aga kay JL noong presscon ng "Dubai" kung saan magkasama sila for the first time sa naturang movie ng Star Cinema. Flattered nga siya sa mga papuri ni Aga sa kanyang performance. One of the highlights ay ang confrontation scene ng dalawa na gumaganap bilang magkapatid.

Sa trailer na ipinapalabas sa TV at sa mga sinehan, walang itulak-kabigin sa husay nina Aga at JL. Ayon sa director nilang si Rory Quintos, si JL ang next big dramatic actor of the decade.

"Ibang achievement kasi sa pelikula," ani JL. "Maibubuhos mo ang acting mo, unlike sa TV na hindi mo maibigay lahat. Pwede na dahil naghahabol kayo sa oras."

Some of the scenes sa kanilang movie ay kinunan sa Dubai na, ayon kay JL, nahihiya siya kay Aga. They stayed there for 17 days and although, sa isang apartment sila tumuloy, shy pa rin siyang makipag-kuwentuhan at nagkukulong lang siya sa kanyang kuwarto. Naging close lang sila ni Aga noong nag-shoot sila ng mga eksena pagbalik sa Pilipinas.

[mhie]

Star Cinema’s casting coup

The Philippine Star 09/08/2005

Star Cinema’s romance-drama, Dubai, scores a casting coup by putting together Aga Muhlach, Claudine Barretto and JOHN LLOYD Cruz.

Directed by Rory Quintos from a screenplay by Ricky Lee and Shaira Mella Salvador, Dubai is the story of three Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and how fate radically changes their lives when their paths cross in Dubai, a city in the Middle East considered by many Filipinos as the land of their dreams.

Aga and JOHN LLOYD play brothers Raffy and Andrew who came from humble beginnings but who share a dream of a better life. When Raffy finds a good-paying job in Dubai and gets settled there, he asks Andrew to follow. Things go well between the brothers until Claudine as Faye, also an OFW in Dubai, enters their lives.

Dubai is the first movie together of Aga and Claudine after Kailangan Kita also directed by Rory Quintos.

Filmed entirely in Dubai, the movie is the latest in a series of Star Cinema projects set abroad. The first was Anak starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto; and the second was Milan, also starring Claudine with Piolo Pascual. Anak was shot in Hong Kong and Milan in Italy.

Besides the poignant love story, Dubai offers moviegoers a front-seat view of some of the city’s scenic spots, including the skyscrapers of Shiek Zayed and Al Ain cities, the camels and the vast Sand Dunes.

Dubai makes the second collaboration of Ricky Lee and Shaira Mella Salvador (their first was May Nagmamahal) who have come up with another absorbing love story woven around the lives of OFWs.

The movie theme is Ikaw Lamang, composed by Ogie Alcasid and sung by Gary Valenciano.

Dubai opens worldwide on Sept. 28 in Dubai, Milan, San Francisco, Vancouver, Saipan, Guam and Vienna, simultaneously with over 100 theaters across the Philippines.

[leana818]

hmmmmm...sana may magpost ng print promo from the sunday paper.. yung letter ni raffy kay andrew?! sana... sana lang

[mhie]

leana818 said:

hmmmmm...sana may magpost ng print promo from the sunday paper.. yung letter ni raffy kay andrew?! sana... sana lang

hello mare!

gusto ko rin mabasa yung letter.. nagtry akong maghanap kung may nagpost nun, pero wala akong nakita

[pacey]

mhie said:

leana818 said:

hmmmmm...sana may magpost ng print promo from the sunday paper.. yung letter ni raffy kay andrew?! sana... sana lang

hello mare!

gusto ko rin mabasa yung letter.. nagtry akong maghanap kung may nagpost nun, pero wala akong nakita

here's the postcard from Dubai:

To: ANDREW ALVAREZ
Manila, Philippines
Zip Code 1200

Dear Mots...

Bro, kamote! this is your guapong guapong kuya raffy sino pa! Alam mo mots, wag ka nang magalala sa akin dito sa Dubai. Tandaan mo, ito ang paraan natin para maabot natin ang pangarap natin. Kapag nalulungkot ako mots, at namimiss kita --- oo tutuo mots, namimiss kita --- eh tinitingnan ko na lang ang disyerto at iniisip ko, nasa pampanga lang ako...at malapit sa iyo. Hihintayin ko ang pagdating mo sa September 28.

Magingat ka bro.
Kuya Raffy